"A family residing in North London seeks an remarkable and skilled educator to assist their smallest child on his initial journey to growing into an English gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "initial stages" as just an expression.
Yet, it may be the crucial element of this unique employment listing, as it attempts to hire a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have already been sent in since the anonymous family published their search for the £180k-a-year tutor, who needs to be "an exceptional individual".
In recent few weeks, the advert has received interest across the news, with many wondering why?
Forward-Thinking Method
A tutoring expert, chief executive of Tutors International, which is supporting the family in their quest, stated that in spite of first doubt, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he consulted the family, he noted they understood the unusual nature of their demand, and how early in age their son is.
But, they clarified that they "were unwilling to delay any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their firstborn was five, and by that age "cultural influence had by then become established".
But what did the family mean by "cultural bias"?
It's "everything", Adam responded. "How you eat, the way you speak".
He stated the elder child had adopted "extremely delicate, non-verbal cues" from the family, and had taken on their cultural ways. The family told Adam they hoped to prevent this pattern to repeat itself with their new baby.
The strategy: To hire a UK tutor, who should speak with RP, to influence the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"Much of the education at the beginning here is somewhat osmotic," explained the CEO.
It's through this natural absorption that the family are hoping the child will acquire the British traits they want to cultivate.
Adam noted the tutor needed to be someone who studied at "the appropriate educational institutions – the same kinds of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator must be the suitable individual, they'll be performing things they may not realize they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Cost Not Relevant
The family informed Adam the chosen tutor should ideally also have knowledge of or passion in horse riding, skiing, the arts and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a wide range of passions.
More than that though, he explained the family hoped the tutor to enrol the child on a range of courses so the child would be "equestrian training and picking up an tool by the time they are about three years old".
In the family's perspective, helping their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in achievement and create opportunities.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "Britishness", could the child pick up so-called cultural bias from the international family he resides with in any case?
"Certainly", replied he. "The family realize this could fail, but they've just taken the perspective of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not relevant," he said.
Idealistic and Unrealistic
Several in the education sector who share those reservations.
An education leader, head and founder of a tutoring service, who also offer private tutors, wrote that "the journey of embracing two identities, or actually, forming one's identity, is something that must be experienced personally, not designed."
Peter noted that he had relocated from Asia to the Britain at the age of 7 years old, and had been raised understanding and embodying two backgrounds. He continued to learn at a prestigious UK institution.
"The idea that an individual can serve as a living vessel of Britishness, a person who can somehow transplant the attributes of a UK sophisticate upon a infant child, strikes me as optimistic and unrealistic," he wrote.
"From my perspective, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically create the result they want.
"I wasn't provided with that kind of mentor, and however I have been fortunate enough to experience many of the opportunities they aspire for their son."
He added: "The fact is, self-identity can not be forced from the external environment; it must be embraced, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, Britishness is something the CEO thinks can be instructed – and commercialized.
"I believe the fact that the international society holds us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
